Fabric-folding guide for trimming mechanisms for sewing-machines.



J. R. MOFFATT.

FABRIC FOLDING GUIDE FOR TRIMMING MECHANISMS. FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATIDN FILED OCT. 7. IQIB.

L fififivL- PatentedAug.27,1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 1.

J. R. MOFFATT.

FABRIC FOLDING GUIDE FOR TRIMMING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.71. i916.

1,276,944.. Patented Au 27, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 2- I. R, MOFFATT.

FABRIC FOLDING GUIDE FOR TRIMMING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 7, 1916.

Patented Aug. '27, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEEI 3,

JAMES R. MOFFATT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNION SPECIAL MACEINER-Y' ra n erarns rarnnr cri ic.

COMPANY. OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

FABRIC-FOLDING GUIDE FOR TRIMMING MECHANISMS FOR SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 27, 19118.

Application filed October 7, 1916. Serial No. 124,384.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs R. MGFFATT, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric-Folding Guides for Trimming Mechanisms for Sewing-Machines, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to new and useful improvement in trimming mechanisms for sewing machines, and more particularly to a fabric folding guide for forming a rib or fold in the material in advance of the trimming mechanism whereby said folded rib may be trimmed off for shaping the article. d

An object of the invention is to provide a folding guide which is located in advance of the trimming mechanism and which 0perates to positively fold the fabric and guide the same thus folded to the trimming mechanism so that the folded part is trimmed off.

A further object of 'the invention is to provide a guide of the above character which may be adjusted at the will of the operator so that the amount of trimmed ofi' material may be varied.

These and other objects will in part be obvious and will in part be hereinafter more fully disclosed.

In the drawings, which show by way of illustration one embodiment of the invention:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a machine havin my improvements applied thereto, the fdlding guide being in inoperative po sition;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged end view of the work supporting arm showing the presser foot,

the trimming blades and the folding guide,

said folding guide being in inoperative position;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the same;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but with parts of the machine in section and the folding guide raised to operative folding position;

Fig. 5 is an end view of the parts shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a view, more or less diagradnmatic, showing a treadle for controlling the folding guide;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view, showing a section of fabric having a portion trimmed oil, the trimming blade, and the joining of the cut edges by the means of stitching; and

Fig. 8 is a detail showing the manner of supporting the fabric as it is fed to the trimming mechanism.

My invention is especially adapted for the shaping of articles which are tubular in form, such as undervests and the like. In carrying out the invention, I- utilize a trimming mechanism wherein the movable trimming blade operates horizontally and is adapted to trim a fabric when raised between the trimming blades. This trimming mechanism. is located in advance of a stitching mechanism which is adapted to join the abutted edges or slightly overlapped edges after they are trimmed, and thus a section of the material may be cut out of a tubular shaped article and the cut edges brought together and united by a stitching mechanism. The invention is directed particularly to the means for-folding the fabric as it is fed to the trimming mechanism.

This is accomplished preferably by a folding finger or guide which raises or bends the fabric into a ridge form in advance of the trimming mechanism. This fold in the fabric then passes between the trimming blades Where it is severed. The guide is mounted so that it may be adjusted at the will of the operator, and thus the amount of fold made in the material may be varied. The guide is normally disposed in inoperative position 'so that the fabric will pass the trimming mechanism without being trimmed. By gradually raising the guide a slight fold will be made in the fabric, and the trimming will begin. The guide may be raised and the fold increased, if desired,

and thus gradually increasing the section Referring more in deteil to ingszl have shown my invention applied to a sewing machine liitilllg a cylindrical work supporting arm 1 which is carried-by standard 2 mounted on suitable base 3. This standard also carries an overhanging arm '1 At the forward end of the overhanging arm there is needle supporting gate 5 in which the needle her 6 reciprocetes. The needle car 6 is moved up and down by lever 7 which o' ieisted by e pitmzin 8 cojiperating with an eccentric en the main shaft 9. The gate carrying the needle bar 5 may be oscillated through 5. suitable mechanism so that zigzag line of stitching is formed. Cooperating with the needle beneath the wort; support is a looper 10 which engages the needle loop at each descent of the needle and the lc-opei' thread ccnnects thestitches beneath the iiinteri l. This stitching mechanism is of the wellmay be used for joining of fabric. it is understcod that t shown purely for the purpose one form of stitching mechthe abutted oioverlapped iiPiQd. on the pressci 7 A and ii movihis movable trunining blade led by an oscillating arm 16 whiclted to an extension of the presse' said arm is osin Fig. l or the d mounted on the n on the 2-.i'i11 is deflects the triniine 2i posses thron h I nczith the resser ioot may be folded or bent into rib torn; with the rib projecting through this slot O1 cut-away The upwardly pro ectingg; rib or may be thus led between the members of the tin inning mechanism and severed. in Fig. 7 of the drawings 1 have shown a section of fabric indicated at F. This may a section of fabric which is tubular in form. and the tubular formed hibric may be fed up the wor supporting shin oi' the sewing machine. This section of labric when the point a was reached bent mo as above described, so that the "blades began to cut the section of fabric all this point a cutting off a section indicated f. in 7 of the drawings. the movable trimming blade is indicated at 16. After the section f is cut out of the fabric, the two severed edges are brought to- :deriieeth the pressei ioot and the bhis fabric section f, first on eh cl edges and then on l "s ing the needle and forth across 16 'l y joining the a T t the ehutted edges Willbe en l n g y the ;-eedl and looper cut edges thus firmly joined.

invention is directed more iy to the means for folding or hric in advance of the trimimnisin. This is accomplished by or guide 28. This folding 1 guide 28 is carried bye supporting 221-1:29. Said shank has two spaced, downardly projecting parts 30 and 31. The end can oi the cylindrical work supporting arm is termed with a recess 33. The parts 30 and 31 have their edges beveled, as indicstec by th dotted line 8% in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and th recess is under-cut so that the shank i ill slide up and down in the recess in t .he end cap. The shank is moved up and d wn by a lever 35 which is pivoted at to acket 37. This bracket 37 is I ops will he joined by 1. a

in the lo ver Iece of the f A spring- 39 is se-v a The down his guide or finger 28- located between the parts 31 and 30 so that j the shank rests on this screw Whenthe folding finger or guide 28 is in this lowered position. When in this position, the folding finger or guide 28 is below the surface of the pressei' foot and, therefore, said guide or finger is ineilective to fold the material. Said guide finger extends into the cutaway porticn 2? to e point just in advance of the trimming blades.

l-Vhen said guide or finger is raised. then the fabric will be folded. as shown in Figs. 4 and 8, and the rib or folded portion of the fabric will pass between the trimming bledes and he cut-oil. The lever 35 may be connected to either 2. hnee shiit or tresdle. in Fig, of the draw s, the lever is shown navaeaa flexible connection 44. A spring 45 holds the treadle raised. When the operator depresses the treadle, the lever 35 Will be drawn downward, and this will raise the folding finger or guide so that it becomes efi'ective for folding the material into a rib or fold which may be trimmed off. When the operator releases the treadle, then the spring 41 will move the folding finger or guide to inoperative or inefiective position.

From the above, it will be apparent that the treadle may be gradually depressed so as to fold or rib the fabric so that it will be first cut-ofl' to a very slight extent and the amount cut off increased to a desired point,

' after which it is gradually tapered off and finally the trimmin ceases. This may be doneat the will of tile operator and without stopping the stitching mechanism.

It is obvious that minor changes in the details of construction and the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of this invention, as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. The combination of a stitching mechanism, a trimming mechanism including a trimming blade moving horizontally in advance of the stitching mechanism, [and a folding guide located in advance of the trimming blade for forming a rib or fold in the fabric which is cut-off by the trimming blade.

The combination of a stitching mechanism, a trimming mechanism including a trimming blade moving horizontally in advance of the stitching mechanism, a folding guide located in advance of the trimming blade for forming a rib or fold in the fabric which is cut-oft by the trimming blade, and means whereby said folding guide may be raised or lowered at the will of the operator, Without stopping the stitching mechanism.

The combination of a stitching mechanism, a trimniing mechanism including a trimming blade moving horizontally in advance of the stitching mechanism, a folding guide located in advance of the trimming blade for forming a rib or fold in the fabric and directing the same to the trimming blade whereby said rib or fold is cut-off, means for normally holding said folding guide in ineli'ective position, and means under the control of the operator for raising said folding guideto form the rib, or fold.

4. The combination of a stitching mechanism, a trimming mechanism including a trimming blade movin horizontally in advance of the stitching mechanism, a folding guide located-in advance of the trimming blade for forming a rib or fold in the fabric and directing the same to the trimming blade whereby said rib or fold is cut ofi, means for normally holding said. folding guide in ineflective position, and means under the control of the operator for raising sa d foldin guide to form the rib or fold, said means being operable without stopping the stitching mechanism.

. 5. The combination of a work support, a presser foot having a slot or cut-away portion at its forward end, a trimming mechanism including a trimming blade movable horizontally across said cut-away portion or slot in the presser foot, and stitching mechanism adapted to join abutted edges of fabric, a folding guide located in advance of the trimming blade, and means under the control of the operator for raising said folding guide into said'cut-away portion of the presser foot for forming arib or fold in the fabric which is cut-off by the trimming mechanism.

6. The combination of a Work support, a

presser foot having a slot or cut-aw'ay'portion at its forward end, 'atrimming mocha nism including a trimining blade movable horizontally across said cut-away portion or slot in the presser foot, stitching mechanism adapted to join abutted edges of fabric, a folding guide located in front of said trimming blade, means for supporting said folding guide whereby it may be moved vcrticallyand into and out of said cut-away portion of the presser foot, and means under the control of the operator for raising and lowering said guide without stopping the stitching mechanism.

7. The combinationof a work support, a presser foot having a slot or cut-away portionat its forward end, a trinnning mechanism;inciuding a trimming blade movable horizontally across saicbcut-away portion or slot in the presser foot, a stitchin mechanism adapted to join abutted edges of fabric, a folding guide located in advance of the trimming blade, a support for said folding guide whereby the same may be moved vertically into and out of said cutaway portion of the presser foot, a lever attached to said support, a spring for mo"- ing said lever in one direction, and a treadle for moving said lever in the opposite direction.

8. The combination of stitching mechanism for jo ningthe abutted edges of fabric se tions, a trinnhing mechanism for trimming a folded portion of the fabric in advance of the stitchingmechanism, means for abutting the trimmedvedges as they are led to the stitching mechanism, and means under the control of the operator for forming and varying the fold in the fabric which is trimmed by the trimming mechanism.

9. A sewing machine including in combination, a stitching mechanism, a trimming mechanism in advance of the stitching mechimllmmaflm 2, 03113121022 Work '0 mis the guide 2 01 pressar foot, said pz'esse: 590% having i1 {fleeting said fielded brvnmm mech- QOltlQZl t0 the tmmmlw mechc-ess 101 gmd- 

